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ArtEZ welcomes Perica Savanović as Professor of Applied Research in Design
On 1 September 2025, Perica Savanović will join ArtEZ as the new Professor of Applied Research in Design. With his appointment, we strengthen our integrated research unit, in which education, practice-based research, and the professional field are increasingly interconnected. He succeeds Jeroen van den Eijnde.
Broad background in engineering and design
Perica studied Architecture at Delft University of Technology and obtained his PhD at Eindhoven University of Technology on Integral Design. This provided him with a strong foundation in both the technical and creative dimensions of design. He previously worked as Professor of Applied Research in the Built Environment at Inholland University of Applied Sciences and Avans University of Applied Sciences.
A unique approach to design
With his expertise at the intersection of sustainability, design, and collaboration, Perica brings an interdisciplinary perspective. He views design as an activity of change:
'Through design and designing, new understanding emerges, and for me, that is a necessary precondition for change.'
He describes his working method as ‘implementing while developing further’: advancing original principles and new possibilities simultaneously, always in dialogue with one another.
Contributing to societal transitions
At ArtEZ, Perica will contribute to NewTexEco, a research network in which five research groups from ArtEZ, Saxion, and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences collaborate with around thirty professional partners. Together, they work towards a sustainable, circular, and regenerative textile sector.
Beyond this, Perica aims to explore how the interplay between art, design, and architecture can generate new methodologies and future scenarios. About his motivation, he says:
“The arts are by definition a place where such interplay naturally occurs. With the Design research group, I want to contribute to societal transitions, for example in sustainable textile ecosystems. Design research can offer us new perspectives, interpretations, and prototypes. Collaboration with students, researchers, and professional partners is essential in this process.”
Part of a new research direction
With Perica’s arrival, ArtEZ strengthens its research agenda, which focuses on three central domains: Prototyping Futures, Sustainable Ecosystems, and Ecologies of Art Practices, Health & Well-being.
Academic and sector-wide involvement
Alongside his position at ArtEZ, Perica is a board member of the Dutch Association of Professors of Applied Sciences (Vereniging Lectoren) and serves on the Research Committee of the Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (Vereniging Hogescholen). In these roles, he contributes to the further development of practice-based research in the Netherlands.
